Intermediate support for axminster tube frames



June 3 w. w.' ROBERTSON 2,032,903

INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR AXMINS'IER TUBE FRAMES Filed June 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l lnvenior wnmm w. Robertson 1* Attorneys INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR AXMINSTER TUBE FRAMES 1' Filed June 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor wslliam w. Rohertemn Ltovnen s Patented June 8 1937 INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR-AXMNSTER TUBE FRAIVIES William W. Robertson, Northboro, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 26, 1935, Serial No. 28,523

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in AX- minster looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide an. improved brace for the intermediate part of the tube frame when in cloth forming position.

, In my co-pending application Serial No. 4,360 I have set forth a centeror intermediate brace mounted on the shaft which carries the tube frame transferrer arms and have made provision therein for locking the brace to the shaft during the pulling-off movement of the tube frame.

The intermediate brace is located in the central part of the loom and must extend downwardly and over the harness frames and back knife. Because of the limitation of space it is not convenient to make this brace as strong as the transfer arms and there results relatively more bending on the part of the brace during tube frame pulling off than occurs on the transfer arms. It is an important object of my present invention to provide means whereby the center brace is given a slight upward movement relatively to the transfer arms when the tube frame is being lifted to cloth forming position to offset the greater bending of the brace.

In the. aforesaid applicationthe intermediate brace is pivoted to a. support mounted on the pull-over shaft and has the same character of angular motion as that of the shaft. It is a further object of my present invention to provide means to effect a relative downward movement of the rear end of the intermediate brace supporting lever at a point behind the lock with reference to the brace itself. In this way the forward end of the brace is given a slight upward movement relatively to the transfer shaft and therefore the transfer arms. This result I may achieve by pivoting the rear end of the brace lever on a link movable about a center so positioned that the difference in arcuate motions between the transfer shaft and link will cause said relative down motion. I find that it is possible to pivotthe link either below or above the transfer shaft and show links of both forms hereinafter.

The lever which carries the intermediate brace has a forwardly and upwardly inclined face to cooperate with a guide roll the purpose of which is to allow the brace to approach the tube frame from a relatively low position. In the aforesaid application the roll which coacts with the inclined surface is fixed and it is a further object of my further invention to provide a yielding mounting for the roll so that the latter may absorb any shock incident to its contact with the inclined surface.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arranger 5 ment of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion 10 of an Axminster loom having the preferred form of my invention applied thereto, the transfer arms and other parts being shown in elevated position preparatory to lowering the selected tube frames to cloth forming position,

Fig. 2 is similar to a portion of Fig. 1 but with the transfer arms down to present the tube frame to cloth forming position,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1, parts being in section, a Fig. 4 is a plan view taken in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner of operation of the preferred form of the supporting link pivoted below the transfer shaft, and

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 but showing the .modified form of link pivoted above the shaft.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown an Axminster loom frame l0 having a pull-over shaft 12 mounted on bearing brackets I3 secured to the upper part of the loom frame and carrying chain sprockets M for the transporting chain C, one of which is shown in Fig. 1.

The chain is provided with a series of tube frames T each end of which has an ear or hanger 18 attached to a cross bar l9 which in approved constructions is tubular in cross section. The tube frame itself forms no part of my present invention and may be of the usual construction, such as shown in Patent No. 1,515,022.

The loom has a transfer arm 20 provided with a clutch 2! which serves to engage an ear l8 for the purpose of disconnecting a tube frame from the transporting chains. The arm 20 is supported by a lever '22 and moves about a substantially vertical axis 23 carried by lever 22, the latter being mounted on the transfer shaft 25, shown more particularly in section in Figs. v 1 and 2. The shaft 25 may be rocked in the usual manner by mechanism which forms no part of my present invention and may be of the usual construction as in Skinner Patent No. 233,290.

The front and back knives 30 and 3|, respectively, may be of the usual construction.

The matter thus far described operates in the usual manner, the chain presenting the tube 5 frames one at a time to the transfer position indicated in Fig. 1 and the transfer arms moving first to unclutch a tube frame from the chains and then moving it down to cloth forming position, where the yarn tubes 34 are projected through the warp threads W to pile tufts. The tube frame is then raised while'the tufts are held in position and the knives cut the tufts, after which the frame is returned to the chain.

In carrying my invention into effect I may provide several intermediate braces, but I have shown herein but one. A carrier support 40 is secured to the transfer shaft 25 as by a bolt or screw 4|, and has formed in the upper part thereof a slot 42 into which projects a stud 43.

The latter is supported by a link 44 in the preferred form and defines a pivotal connection between said link and a brace carrying lever 45. The rear of the lever is counterweighted at 24 I while the forward end terminates in an upstanding plate 46 to which is secured a center brace 41 for relative vertical adjustment, as by bolts 48. This brace 41 is given the contour indicated in the drawings largely for-the purpose of avoiding interference with certain parts of the loom and terminates in a lower forward concave tube frame bracing surface 49 which is movable to a position in contact with the tube frame bar l9 during the wiping-in operations.

The upper surface of the lever 45 is provided with a cam or inclined face 50 which extends upwardly and forwardly and is held by the counterweight 24 against a roll 5| on a lever 52 pivoted at 53 to a bracket 54 fastened to the loom frame. A bolt 55 extends through parts of the bracket 54 and lever 52 and is surrounded by a compression spring 56 which holds the lever yieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 1, nuts 5! limiting motion of the lever.

The support 40 carries also a lower stud 60 to which is pivoted a lock lever 6!, see Fig. 4, having a depending finger 62 to which is attached a spring 63 having one end fixed with respect to the transfer shaft. The purpose of the spring 63 is to hold a roll 64 against a cam 72 carried by bracket 54. The upper end of lever (if has a locking jaw 65 the upper limit of which may be determined by an adjusting screw 66 and the lower part of which may be defined by a shelf 61. The outline of the cam is set forth in Fig. l

where it will be seen that the upper part thereof inclines downwardly and terminates in a forward surface 13 to provide for a relatively quick drop. The locking mechanism set forth herein may be constructed and operated in a manner similar to the lock shown in my aforesaid application.

The link 44 is pivoted as at 68 to a normally fixed lever 69 supported by a cross shaft 10 used for other purposes, and an arm H of lever 69 is held in place by a rod 75 the upper end of which is fastened to a clip l6 carried by the loom frame. Lever 69 is therefore fixed though adjustable to hold axis 68 of link 44 in several fixed positions. In normal idle position the axis of the shaft 25 and studs 43 and 58 will be approxi- 70 mately' as shown in Fig. 1.

At the. beginning of a clipping movement of the'tube frame the parts will be in the full line position shown in Fig. 1 with the transfer arms in'their high position and the shaft 25 therefore turned to its extreme distance from roll 5| and the cam face 53 is depressed so that the brace 4'! lies below the line A, Fig. l, to permit uninterrupted turning of the tube frames about shaft [2. Furthermore, stud 60 is in its highest position and roll 64 is in its extreme right position to hold the locking jaw 65 away from lug B0 on lever 45. When the transfer arms are to be lowered the shaft 25 is rocked in a left hand direction from that viewed in Fig. 1 and there results a movement of slot 42 to the left and a corresponding lowering of stud 60.

This movement of the upper slotted end of support 44 to the left requires the stud 43 to have a corresponding movement, thereby rocking the link 44 in a left hand direction around its fixed pivotal support stud 68. Stud 43 will move to the left and downwardly along an arcuate path b because of the location of stud 68. If stud 43 were supported by the transfer shaft 25 as in my previous application it would move along an arcuate path 0, under which conditions the lever 45 would tend to have the same character of arcuate movement as that of the transfer arms. In the present instance, however, the rear or right end of the lever 45 will move down at a faster rate than is the case in my aforesaid copending application with the result that the forward end of the brace 41 is given a slight upward movement relatively to the transfer arms. The reason for this relative movement will be apparent from an inspection of the arcuate paths 1) and c in Fig. l, where it will be seen that the stud 43 traverses a path b which lies below the path of the previous construction indicated at 0.

During this left hand rocking of the transfer shaft 25 the locking jaw 65 will move toward and into locking relation with lug on lever 45. This locking occurs in such a way that the relativedownward movement of stud 43 along arcuate path b causes the interlocking parts to act somewhat as a pivot, lever 45 floating and attached temporarily to the transfer shaft.

The interlocked position is shown in Fig. 2 with the brace in supporting relation with respect to the tube frame. When the latter reaches its lowest position the lever 45 will be in a position determined by arcuate path b, but because of the greater yielding of the center brace 47 as compared to the transfer arms 20, the end 49 of the brace will be approximately in the correct position to hold the tube frame straight. During the raising of the tube frame for the pulling-off operation this relative upward strain in the brace 41 will continue.

As the transfer shaft 25 rocks backwardly in a right hand direction toward its normal position the brace will approach the arcuate line A in Fig. 1 concentric with pullover shaft I2 and representing the path of the tube frames until the incline 50 engages the roll 5|, after which further rearward movement of the lever 45 will cause the brace 41 to move downwardly away from line A. During this operation the parts may be so proportioned that the center brace will actually pass the line A, but in such an instance the cooperation of the incline 50 and roll 5| will ultimately place the brace in such a position that it will not interfere with the turning of the tube frames about shaft l2.

During the latter part of the return right hand movement of shaft 25 to normal position the roll 64 will engage and be moved to the right by the cam 12 the effect of which is to move the locking lever away from the locking lug 80. The purpose of this unlocking is to permit the transfer arms to move upwardly to their high position for returning the tube frame in the chain without requiring the center brace to have a corresponding full upward movement equal to that of the transfer arms.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 a link 90 is pivoted as at 9| to a fixed axis located above the transfer shaft 25 and carries a stud 92 corresponding to stud 43 to extend into the slot 42 of the support 40. When the lever 25 rocks to the left the stud 92 will move along an arcuate path b which is below an arcuate path 0 concentric with the axis of shaft 25. When the lower end of link 90 reaches the dotted line position shown at D, Fig. 6, the rear end of lever 45 will be in a relatively low position as shown in the preferred form. The effect in either construction,

' however, is to cause the studs 43 or 92 to move in a relatively downward path with respect to an arc concentric with shaft 25 and passingthrough the studs when they are in their normal idle position. The floating lever 45 in both instances has a mo tion the effect of which is to elevate the intermediate brace relatively to the transfer arms.

In both forms of the invention the incline 50 is moved toward the roll 5| during the return movement of the transfer shaft to normal position and if this movement be abrupt the spring 56 will yield to allow roll 5| to rise slightly to accommodate itself to the upward movement of the forward end of lever 45.

Except for the links 44 and and the parts associated therewith the mechanism set forth herein may be constructed and operated substantially as shown in my aforesaid application.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improved form of center brace for tube frames in Axminster looms so controlled as to have a slight upward thrust when the tube frame is in low position to offset any bending which may occur in said brace beyond that occurring in the transfer arms. It will further be seen that the links act to effect a relative downward motion of the rear part of lever 45 to produce the aforesaid relative upward movement of the center brace, and that the links may be supported either below or above the transfer shaft. It will also be seen that the roll 5| is mounted for yielding movement relatively to the loom frame to absorb any shock which might occur when it is engaged by the inclined plane 50.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, transfer arms to move the tube frame toward and from cloth forming position, a transfer shaft on which the arms are mounted, a center brace for the tube frame, means to lock one part of the brace operatively to the transfer shaft, connections between the transfer shaft and brace to move the brace by a force derived from the shaft, and means to control the force transmitted from the shaft to the brace and effective to cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during the rolling in movements thereof and have an upward movement relatively to the transfer arms when the latter are moving toward cloth forming position.

2. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements,

a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft to move the tube frame toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frame, meansconstituting an operating connection between the shaft and the brace to impart movements to the latter from the shaft, and cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during rolling movements thereof, and means controlling the first named means and effective to give the brace an upward movement relatively to the transfer arms as the latter move toward cloth forming position.

3. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frame, a lever carrying the brace, means constituting a driving connection between the shaft and the lever to impart movements to the latter by a force derived from the shaft, and cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during rolling movements thereof and means to cause an upward displacement of the intermediate brace relatively to the transfer arms when said brace and arms move toward cloth forming position.

4. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frames, a lever to carry the brace, means operative when the brace and arms are adjacent the cloth forming position to require part of the lever to move with the shaft, and mechanism controlling the movement of the lever by the shaft and effective to cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during the rolling in movements thereof and have an upward displacement relatively to the transfer arms when said brace and arms move toward cloth forming position.

5. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective by rotation of the shaft to move a tube frame toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frame, a supporting lever therefor, means operative when the transfer arms are adjacent cloth forming position to cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during the rolling in movement thereof and require one part of the lever to move with the shaft, and mechanism operative on another part of the lever and effective to require said lever to displace the brace upwardly relatively to the arms when the latter are adjacent cloth forming position.

6. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frame, a lever carrying the brace, means effective when the arms are adjacent cloth forming position to cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during the rolling in movements thereof and require a part of the lever to move with the shaft, conto the latter a driving force, and controller means for said connections operative to move the lever relatively to the shaft as the latter turns and the arms move toward cloth forming position and in a direction to displace the brace upwardly relatively to the arms.

7. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, 2. transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frame, a lever carrying the brace, means to establish a connection between a part of the lever and the shaft when the arms are adjacent cloth forming position, and means operative when the shaft is turning to cause the lever to have an angular movement relatively to the shaft in a direction to require the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during the rolling in movements thereof and have an upward displacement relatively to the transfer arms when the latter are moving toward cloth forming position.

8. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling in and rising movements, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, an intermediate brace for the tube frame, a lever carrying the brace, means operative when the transfer arms move the tube frame toward cloth forming position to establish a connection between the shaft and lever rendering the latter capable of angular movement relatively to the shaft, and means brought into action by and dependent upon angular movement of the shaft to cause angular movement of the lever relatively to the shaft in a direction to displace the brace upwardly relatively to the transfer arms when the latter are adjacent cloth forming position and are being 2,082,908 nections between the shaft and lever to impartv moved toward such position by turning of the shaft said last means requiring the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during rolling movements thereof.

9. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame having rolling. in and rising movements, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, a center brace for a tube frame, a lever carrying the brace, a link pivotally supporting the-lever, means defining an axis for the link eccentric with respect to the axis of the shaft, and means to interconnect the lever and shaft when the tube frame moves to a position adjacent the cloth by the transfer arms, and cause the brace to remain in engagement with the tube frame during rolling movements thereof, the axes for the link and shaft and the pivotal support for the lever being so placed as to effect a relative upward movement of the center brace with respect to the transfer arms as the latter move the tube frame toward cloth forming position.

10. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame, a transfer shaft, transfer arms carried by and moving with the shaft and effective to move a tube frame by rotation of the shaft toward and from cloth forming position, a center brace for the tube frame, a lever supporting the brace, a link, a pivotal connection between the lever and link, means defining an axis for the link eccentric with respect to the axis of the shaft, means to opera'tively interconnect the lever and shaft at a point eccentric with the axis of the shaft, and a driving connection operatively interposed between the shaft and lever, the axes of the shaft and the pivotal connection of the link being so related as to effect an upward movement of the center brace relatively to the transfer arms when the shaft rocks to move the arms toward cloth forming position.

WILLIAM W. ROBERTSON. 

